Erbil, Kurdistan (May 15, 2023) - A ceremony to plant 5,000 trees at the Agricultural College of the University of Salahaddin was held using Groasis Waterboxx technology.

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The ceremony was attended by Ms. Begard Talabani, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Abdul Rahman Sdiq, Chairman of the Environment Board, Asst. Prof. Dr. Kamiran Younis, President of the SUE, Ms. Ekram Al-Huni, Deputy Director of WFP in Iraq, Consulates of Turkey, the Netherlands، and Jordan، and many other guests from government and international organizations.

The activity is part of the ‘Resilience Building Interventions to Promote Food Security in Iraq' which is implemented by Rwanga Foundation in partnership with World Food Programme and funded by the German Cooperation. This phase was carried out in cooperation with the University of Salahadin and included planting 5,000 trees on an area of 26 dunams at the Agricultural College of the University of Salahadin using the latest technology (Groasis Waterboxx).

Due to the ongoing effects of climate change and carbon emissions, our natural environment is being increasingly degraded, resulting in the expansion of desert land. This expansion is encroaching upon our fertile land space, posing significant challenges to the survival of vegetation and animals.

An effective solution for preserving dry ecosystems and reclaiming deserts is the Groasis Waterboxx. This innovative method emulates the natural process of planting and growing seeds. Placed on the ground's surface, the Waterboxx functions as a protective container, ensuring that once a seed is planted, it remains adequately moist and shielded from harsh environmental conditions.

Once germination occurs, water is introduced into the upper and lower layers of the Waterboxx. As temperatures fluctuate throughout the day and night, moisture is continually replenished through condensation. Moreover, the Waterboxx incorporates small pipes that supply water to the plant as needed, ensuring its sustained growth and development. it can be re-used approximately 10 times. You can thus plant 10-40 trees with each Waterboxx

The types and number of trees planted in the university are:

• Figs: 400
• Halabja pomegranate: 630
• Spanish olive: 630
• Iraqi citrus (lemon and orange): 1700
• Cypress: 1640

After the introduction ceremony of the project, the attendees went together to the tree planting site to see how it works and the features of Groasis Waterboxx technology. The process of planting trees was also carried out by the guests.

The project consists of three main stages, the first phase of which included workshops on strengthening the capabilities of government employees of the agriculture and forestry departments in Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaimani governorates. And in addition to today's stage, which was planting 5,000 trees, the final stage will be planting 30,000 trees using 30,000 boxes of Groasis Waterboxx in Erbil.

This project contributes to national efforts to manage and protect sustainable greenery. Its purpose would be to preserve and recover the shattered parts of the forests that were destroyed due to human activities and natural disasters that caused deforestation. Also, the capacity of government employees in forestry management would be strengthened.